Sunnyside's Andrus &amp; Roberts purchased by Conrad &amp; Adams

Anyone who has lived in the Lower Yakima Valley for any length of time is familiar with the Andrus & Roberts packing facility on Waneta Road.

It is one of the first buildings motorists encounter when entering Sunnyside from I-82 at exit 69.

That building won't be bearing the familiar name much longer because Andrus & Roberts has been sold to Conrad & Adams, a company that has become familiar to residents of Grandview in the past few years.

Conrad & Adams purchased the Sunnyside plant last October.

The company's controller, Clint Scoggin, said the previous owner, Chad Roberts, wanted out of the packing business and Conrad & Adams was looking to expand its production capacity.

"It was beneficial to both of us," said Scoggin.

He said the Sunnyside plant is in need of some upgrades before it will be online. The production has been moved to the Grandview facility in the meantime.

"We don't expect the Sunnyside plant to be running for another year," said Scoggin, noting Conrad & Adams has plans to completely modernize the older facility.

The company is currently in the bid process to get the project started.

Scoggin said fruit products and potatoes will continue to be processed at the Sunnyside plant once the modernization is completed.

"Potatoes are a small part of the business and we will pick that up," he said.

Scoggin said modernizing the Sunnyside plant will help Conrad & Adams continue to be a contributor to the community.

"A brand new processing line will help us achieve that goal," he said.

There are approximately 100 employees who worked at the Sunnyside facility, most of whom have retained employment at the Grandview plant, according to Scoggin.